Lamp base extractor with resilient jaws



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United States Patent LAMP BASE EXTRACTOR W'ITH RESILIENT JAWS Ernest Arthur Prevost, Rumford, Maine Application September 14, 1953, Serial No. 379,815

1 Claim. (Cl. 8172) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in lamp base extractors and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a tool of this character comprising a novel construction and arrangement whereby the threaded plug or base portion of a broken electric lamp may be expeditiously and safely removed from a socket into which it has been screwed.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an electric lamp base extracting tool of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lamp base extractor constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section through the de- Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in vertical section through an end portion of the device.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a tubular handle 5 of suitable insulating material, which handle may be of any desired length and diameter. Mounted in the forward end portion of the tubular handle 5 and projecting forwardly therefrom is a pair of spaced, inwardly and forwardly curved resilient jaws 6. The inner end portions of the jaws 6 are secured at diametrically opposite sides of the tubular handle 5 through the medium of recessed screws 7 which are insulated, as at 8 (see Figure 4).

Insulating sleeves 9 enclose the free forward end portions of the jaws 6. Outwardly directed prongs or teeth 10 are provided on the free end portions of the jaws 6, which prongs or teeth project through the insulating sleeves 9. Coil springs 11 in the tubular handle 5 are engaged with the resilient jaws 6 for contracting or retracting said jaws.

The rear or inner end portion of the tubular handle 5 is internally threaded, as at 12. Threadedly mounted "ice in the portion 12 of the handle 5 is an operator 13 which is provided on its rear or outer end with a knob or head 14. The knob or head 14 facilitates manual turning of the operator 13. The operator 13 further includes an unthreaded, substantially conical or tapered forward end portion 15 which is engageable between the curved inner end portions of the resilient jaws 6. A set screw 16 is threadedly mounted in the rear end portion of the handle 5 for securing the operator 13 in adjusted position.

It is thought that the manner in which the tool is used will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the operator 13 in retracted position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawing, the resilient jaws 6 are contracted and the free forward end portions thereof may readily be inserted in the plug or base portion 17 of a broken off electric lamp. Then, while gripping the handle 5 with one hand and turning the operator 13 with the other hand, the conical end portion 15 of said operator is forced between the resilient jaws 6 for opening or expanding the forward end portions thereof thus firmly gripping the lamp base 17. A positive grip is ensured by the teeth or prongs 10 of the jaws. The set screw 16 is then tightened to secure the operator 13 in adjusted position. By turning the handle 5 in the correct direction, the lamp base 17 may now be backed out of the socket 18. The set screw 16 is then loosened to permit the operator 13 to be retracted, thereby contracting the resilient jaws 6 under the influence of the coil springs 11 to permit removal of the lamp base from said jaws.

It is believed that the many advantages of a lamp base extractor constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the tool is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

An extractor for electric lamp bases comprising; an internally threaded tubular handle of uniform diameter throughout and open at both ends, a pair of spaced, resilient, diametrically opposite jaws mounted longitudinally in said handle and projecting from one end thereof for engagement in a lamp base, said handle being of insulating material and enclosing the jaws except for the base engaging free end portions, an operator of insulating material threadedly mounted in the handle and including a substantially conical end portion engaging the inner surfaces of the jaws for spreading said jaws into gripping engagement with the base, a set screw threadedly mounted in the handle for securing the operator in adjusted position, and coil springs in the tube engaging the outer surfaces of the jaws at intermediate points for contracting said jaws when the operator is retracted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,197,648 Meyers Sept. 12, 1916 1,592,987 Mayer July 20, 1926 1,892,904 Robinson et al. Jan. 3, 1933 2,497,633 Shapiro et al. Feb. 14, 1950 

